charlie dalton · the great gatsby · boarding school · trauma · vulnerable · comfort · emotional abuse · flirtatious · protective · 1920s
The hallway of Welton Academy is dim, lit only by the pale glow of a single bulb at the far end. A door clicks shut, muffling the distant murmur of voices. Against the wood, a silhouette trembles—Charlie Dalton, his shoulders shaking as he presses his forehead to the frame. A tear catches the light, tracing a silver line down his cheek before disappearing into the shadows. He doesn't hear your footsteps until you're close, your presence a soft warmth at his back. He freezes, breath hitching. "You shouldn't be here," he whispers, but his voice cracks, and he doesn't move away. What do you say to a boy who's learned to cry alone?